The Emanon Ensemble is a fairly young grouping with a wide-ranging
repertoire. They have a strong emphasis on contemporary and specifically
contemporary Flemish and Belgian music. Their first disc (Mystery
– Phaedra 92037) was entirely devoted to the works of four Flemish
composers from various generations and musical horizons. The disc
under review is their second release, and the outlook is now somewhat
wider, although the bulk of it consists of two works by Flemish
composers.

Górecki’s Kleines
Requiem für eine Polka is probably the best known work
here. The title may be a bit ambiguous since the word ‘Polka’
alludes both to the well-known dance form and to the Polish
woman, which – to a certain extent – certainly connects with
the word ‘Requiem’. The work as a whole is an epitaph, although
it may not be completely clear whom the music mourns. The music
is vintage Górecki with allusions to ancient polyphony, old
Polish church music and Polish peasant culture, the whole cast
in the composer’s personal blend of Minimalism. The piece is
in four movements, actually two developed slow movements framing
two shorter quick ones, although the latter also have slower
sections. The third movement is a short dance-like interlude
with obstinate, forcefully hammered-out rhythms and sharper
dissonance. Tubular bells heard in soft dialogue with the piano
at the outset of the first movement again open and conclude
the fourth movement thus bringing the piece to a rounded conclusion.

André Laporte is
one of the foremost Flemish composers of his generation with
a substantial and varied output to his credit, including a large-scale
opera Das Schloss after Kafka. I will soon tell
you more about this composer in a somewhat more extended review
of a four-CD boxed set released last year. His Litanie
con epitaffio is a short work for small ensemble (flute,
bass clarinet, string trio, percussion and piano) written as
a tribute to four deceased composer friends: Karel Goeyvaerts
(1923–1993), Raymond Baervoets (1930–1989), Louis De Meester
(1904–1987) and Norbert Rosseau (1907–1975). The very title
of the piece “Litanies with Epitaph” clearly alludes to the
four Litanies composed by Goeyvaerts, although
the music never quotes from any of the four composers’ music.
Although the music is – appropriately enough – elegiac in mood,
it nevertheless has some more animated moments. It is a beautiful,
deeply-felt homage to dear friends that makes its point without
any fuss but with subdued eloquence.

Stéphane Vande Ginste’s
name and music are new to me. This still young composer was
a pupil of André Laporte. His work Darkness is
scored for instrumental forces similar to Górecki’s work, although
Vande Ginste calls for a more varied percussion - the Polish
composer’s work has tubular bells only - with the addition of
two narrators. The text is drawn from two strongly different
literary sources: Lord Byron’s eponymous poem prompted by the
eruption of the Tambora volcano in Indonesia, the aftermath
of which was felt across the world and had severe repercussions
for the world’s climate; and from Hinkel’s speech in Chaplin’s
film The Great Dictator. These texts may at first sight
seem rather strange bedfellows; but the poem by Byron, hinting
as it does at the possible disappearance of the human race on
the earth, may also connect to wars and genocides that have
been – and sadly still are – part of the world’s history. This
may seem a bit far fetched for some; but I am in no doubt about
Vande Ginste’s honesty and utter sincerity. Though mostly dark
and ominous, the music displays remarkable variety and – more
importantly – a considerable inner and stylistic coherence.
I certainly look forward to hearing more of this young composer’s
music.

Excellent performances
in very fine recordings that do these rewarding works full justice.
I hope that the Ensemble will be able to continue along the
same lines. In short, a very welcome release that clearly deserves
much more than the occasional hearing.

Hubert Culot

Further information
on this and other Phaedra records may be found on www.phaedracd.com.
All discs are downloadable.

Review
IndexesBy
Label Select a label and
all reviews are listed in Catalogue orderBy
MasterworkLinks
from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to
the review
indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Reviews
from previous monthsJoin the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the
discs reviewed. detailsWe welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin
Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to
which you refer.